After the Bears picked up a 7-4 Game 1 win Saturday over visiting Itawamba, Lane Steinwinder came up big for Southwest in Game 2 getting a walk-off sacrifice fly scoring Colson Thompson and helping the hosts secure a 2-1 victory in the nightcap, completing the sweep.
"He started me off with two breaking balls and he finally threw me one up in the zone and I got just enough of it, allowing Colson to score," Steinwinder said.
His hit helped secure the win for Bear starter Luke Lirette who went the distance for Southwest in the nightcap giving up eight hits, one run (earned) and two walks while striking out 10.
"These guys have my back through thick and thin and I always have theirs," he said. "I knew that if I went out there and competed, that they would compete for me."
In Game 1, the Bears (17-24, 5-9 MACCC) ran into a bit of trouble early on as the Indians hit a two-run home run to right putting the Bears in a 2-0 deficit in the top of the first. But starter Blaine Causey didn't let that phase him as he battled back to pick up the third out.
He got some help from his offense in the bottom half of the inning when Reed Duthu singled and touched home two batters later on a Thompson double to left, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.
But the Indians rallied once again in the second, plating two additional runs putting the Bears down by three. Causey once again battled back and got out of the inning limiting the talented Itawamba offense.
In the bottom of the second, the Southwest offense shined. Gage Hinnant doubled to lead off the inning and scored during the ensuing at bat when Steinwinder singled to center. Following singles by Davis Knight and Jake Meilstrup to load the bases, Marcus Jackson kept the rally going with an RBI single before Duthu hit a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 4. Later in the inning, Thompson continued his big day with a two-RBI single to center giving the Bears their first lead of the contest.
"I just translated it over from the first at bat, going up there and trying to be aggressive and hit something hard and score some runs," Thompson said.
Causey passed off pitching duties in the third inning to Trace Dearman who made his season debut after being out due to an injury. The sophomore kept things rolling for the Bears, keeping the Indians at bay, helping to preserve the lead.
He handed things off to Myles Green in the fourth who put forth — arguably — his best effort of the season thus far. The sophomore went the remaining 6.0 innings giving up only one hit and one walk while striking out a new collegiate career high in 10 batters.
"Coming into today I knew that we needed a big win and that I was possibly going to throw," Green said. "When we took the lead early in the game, coach looked at me and I knew what was up, I knew that I had to go in and execute and get the job done."
While Green was a thorn in the side of Itawamba for the remainder of the game, his offense provided one more run in the seventh as Knight singled in Hinnant.
Offensively, Southwest was led by Thompson who had two hits and three RBIs.
In Game 2, Lirette and Itawamba starter Eli Akins became locked in an old-fashioned pitcher's duel as both had success keeping their respective opponents off of the scoreboard for most of the contest.
The Bears broke through in the sixth. Cody Presley walked to lead off the inning before he was moved to second on a Thompson single. Both moved up a base when ensuing batter Nolan Walther laid down a successful sacrifice bunt. During the next at bat, some heads-up base running by Presley on a wild pitch — just beating the tag — plated the first run of the game and gave Southwest a 1-0 lead.
Southwest looked to close out the game the following inning but Itawamba rallied and pushed the tying run across forcing extra innings.
Lirette was lights out in the eighth inning but ran into trouble in the ninth as the Indians put two runners on — including one at third — with only one out. But a big double play from Presley at the short stop position got the Bears out of the inning.
The big play breathed new life into the Bears who used that momentum to push a run across in the bottom half of the inning on the Steinwinder sacrifice fly to win the game and seal the sweep.
Thompson once again led the Bears on the offensive side with two hits and a run scored.
The Bears will be back on the road in their next contest as they make the trip East to Ellisville to face No. 7 Jones on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
